Hoodwinked
As my followers know, I’m the kit lens guy. Many kit lenses offer the best “value” in glass, so I’m totally on board with them. I place them right alongside my pro and prime lenses, and use them frequently and without prejudice when they’re the best tools for the job.
But when it came time to order the lens hood for my AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 55 — 200mm, I came across some confusion and so I wanted to clear it up once and for all.
There are two Nikon hoods that will fit this lens; the traditional HB-37, and the petal-shaped HB-34. The HB-37 is the correct hood for this lens.
That said, the HB-34 also fits this lens perfectly with one minor catch. When reversed, the lens will not retract to the point where the “catch” is engaged, locking the lens into the retracted position. It does however retract all the way to the “L” position, which is really what you need it to do. There’s actually an advantage to this…it leaves the lens in an unlocked state so that all you have to do is rotate it to extend it to the shooting position, without having to press the release button first.
But even though it fits fine, I was surprised to learn that the HB-34 does not have the same spatter-paint finish as the lens itself, or the HB-37, which makes it a little suspect.
I’m not sure why this hood was created. Not having any of the older versions of this lens, I can’t tell whether or not it fits them better, and so was intended for them. The lack of a spatter-paint finish harkens back to older hoods, but the late-model packaging says different. Very confusing.
The choice is yours, the coolness of the petal version (totally unnecessary for this lens), or the more functional traditional design that fits as intended. The HB-34 petal hood costs about half as much as the traditional hood, but it gives less protection against flare and ghosting than the HB-37, especially for portrait shots, where the more open sides face upwards.
There are of course third-party knockoffs as well. If you find yourself losing hoods easily, these might be good options for you.
